COAL MINE FATALITY - On April 2, 1997, a
telephone company cable splicing technician finished repair work
on a mine's telephone line. Following the repair work, the
technician was leaving mine property driving the telephone company
service truck. At about 11:15 p.m., on a descending grade of the
mine access road, the service truck overturned, throwing the
technician out of the vehicle. The technician incurred fatal
injuries during the accident. There were no eyewitnesses to the
accident.
This is the eight coal mine fatality in 1997. As of April 2,
last year, there had been 10 fatalities. This death is the third
classified as POWERED HAULAGE in 1997.
For more information: MSHA's Fatal Accident Investigation Report [FTL97C08]